When a user of a social networking system considers whether to share a content item with another user of the social networking system, it may be beneficial for the social networking system to generate and/or display a preview of the content item. For example, displaying a preview of the content item to a user prior to sharing the content item may confirm that the user has selected the correct content item. Additionally, a preview of a shared content item displayed to another user may influence the user to interact with (e.g., access, view, etc.) the shared content item.
However, when a user shares and/or attempts to share a content item that is protected by an authentication protocol, such as a content item hosted by a third-party content provider system, traditional preview generating systems may be unable to access and/or view the protected content item. This may cause the traditional preview generating systems to be unable to generate and/or display a preview of the protected content item. This may lead to decreased user engagement with shareable and/or shared content within the social networking system. For example, a user of a social networking system may be less likely to share a protected content item with other users of the social networking system, or another user of the social networking system may be less likely to interact with a protected content item that has been shared by the user. As such, the instant disclosure identifies and addresses a need for improved systems and methods for generating previews of content items that are protected by authentication protocols.